June 25, 2006

On The Move (MP3s)

Like many musical genres, the blues today suffers from too many chords, too many instruments, and too many white people with guitars with too many strings. Thankfully, there are still musicians holding up the minimalist blues tradition, and one of the finest examples is Shakin Jake Woods of Ann Arbor, Michigan. If you have ever been to Ann Arbor, you might have seen Jake, strumming his two-string guitar on the street, collecting tips and greeting everybody with his signature phrase "I'm on the move".

In 2004, Ed Special assembled some recordings of Jake done back in the 70s at WCBN and produced the CD On The Move on the 120° Hot Fat Bacon Records label, an ingenious collection of stories, jokes, and music which sounds like the bastard child of John Lee Hooker and Half Japanese. The AMG review by Arwulf Arwulf sums it up perfectly: "These 30 brief tracks taken consecutively may result in a complete reassessment of reality as we know it."

If you like what you hear, you can contact Ed Special at edspecial@digitalrealm.net and buy a copy. All the proceeds go directly to Jake, and he can really use some dough.

These days Jake has pushed his minimalism even further, often using a guitar without any strings. There is a very nice recent NPR piece about him which you can listen to here. Who ever had the ridiculous idea that blues needed 12 bars and 3 chords? Probably white people with guitars. Now you know better.

Credit for the photo with the pink guitar goes to Dan Martin.

UPDATE: Shakey Jake died Sunday, September 16, 2007, at the age of 82 (probably, though he sometimes claimed that he was over 100 years old), in Ann Arbor. Two more posts on Jake here and here, including the complete On The Move album and a live radio appearance on WCBN.

Thanks a lot Lukas! I remember Shakey Jake well - did he change his name or something? He always wore a red carnation on his lapel and frequently had hot babes on his arm, no small feat for a homeless guy. Another Ann Arbor street personality I remember was the great Doctor Diag, who ranted and raved and harrassed students in the middle of campus. He was eventually arrested for assault and when he got out of jail he went to work for a congressman in DC.

I remember Dr. Diag, and a seemingly gentle soul (a student?) that walked around everywhere barefoot, even in the dead of Michigan winter. His hair was a complete matted mess. Who am I to judge, but he must have had awfully cold feet.

HOWDY...
YES.. WE certainly remember Shakey Jake!
I moved to Saginaw MI in the early 70s and at that Time
Jake was a regular fixture here in Saginaw.
It saddens us that Saginaw is never mentioned in his History!
It wasnt until the 80s as I remember that he left for Ann Arbor and WE MISS HIM even today!
So much, as a matter of fact that we are naming a Blues Festival AFTER HIM.
The Last Saturday in Sept 07 we will hold the
FIRST ANNUAL SHAKEY JAKE BLUES FESTIVAL
to be held at
THE WHITE CROW
3736 Mackinaw
Saginaw MI
989-790-2118
http://www.whitecrowconservatory.com
http://www.myspace.com/whitcrowconsevatory

I loved Shakey Jake! He was just a part of the street scene you took for granted in Ann Arbor but I recall seeing him on the streets around Fleetwood Diner all the time in the mid to late 70s. He played his blues for me many times and gave me the one finger hand shake if anyone remembers that let me know. I haven't lived in Ann Arbor for 26 years but I'll be back next weekend for a family wedding. I hope to find a nice photo of him. The T-shirt I owned disintegrated years ago. I've heard many business owners kept him safe, fed, and warm over the years so I'd like to thank them from the bottom of my heart. Hew was one of a kind.

We knew Jake as "Jumpin Jake" back in the 60s in Saginaw....a loveable guy for sure. He hung with us at Ojibway Island....great guy, and great character. If anyone didn't care what other people thought, it was certainly Jake, back then. I never saw him after he left Saginaw.

I grew up in A2 and remember Shakey Jake. My father worked at Van Bovens on State Street. He knew him and would give him rides because he knew he was on the move. My father is now gone and so is one of his friends.

Yea, we in Saginaw MI remember Jake. As he was well know and liked by almost everyone. In fact Jake started in Saginaw way before he hit the streets of Ann Arbor. He would play even for 1 penny for the youngsters, as he walked from neighborhood to neighorhood. I am sure everyone everywhere will miss him. He made us all smile.